Cognata: A Vampire Romance (6 page)

I want to break her and bend her to my will - show her just how much I love her. Show her how much I'd be there, no matter where she is; I'd come running and she has to know it. If this was the last night I'll get to spend with the only woman I've ever truly loved, then I have to show her and there is no other way...

A few hours go by and the two of us fall asleep in each other's arms. I have trouble sleeping. As a matter of fact, I can't say I really do. A mixture of excitement and terror: a wonderful feeling rings in me like I've never experienced before. She's everything I ever needed and everything I don't. Looking at her sleep is like looking at some angel floating on a cloud, resting her troubles away and yet part of me still fears her as a bloodthirsty predator.

The sex was unbelievable. I'm so glad she let me taste her body. I'd even sunk my teeth into her neck, and no, I didn't do it out of imitation of her vampiric tradition. I did it out of pure lust. I wanted her and I wanted to leave my mark on her. I remember hearing her hiss but turning into a purr when I did it. Oh... she loved it... maybe more than I did. She tasted so pure and I'm still amazed that such a creature can exist...

So here I am, carefully removing her arm, stroking her lovely blond hair covering her face and wondering just how lucky and cursed I am. I know the journal's still around and I have to continue reading it. She persuaded me with a very pleasant distraction, albeit an important want and the truth is, I need to know more. I need to know what I'm dealing with.

Halona

Alexia's Journal,

May 14th 1932

The night was hot and young, a fiery haze called for me outside the Chateau's walls while Aristide's nails were dug deep in my exposed, arched spine, clawing all the way down to my bottom, pinning me onto him as he laid below - working the instrument that made him a man. Tonight in particular was a special one. All the training and the gifts he'd been so carefully presenting had reached a culmination. Weeks went by and Aristide taught me the secrets of these, 'dark arts' and how to make them a reality, not a slumbering fool's dream.

I could run faster than any animal, empower my body with the strength of a thousand men and my injuries were healed in mere seconds. Oh, the power was amazing. The tingle of wanting to possibly hate this man was long gone. He'd provided me with everything I needed. A life that wasn't bound by the hideous society I came from. A life that required no debt on my part, unless I was truly stupid enough to let myself go. I knew my limits and I knew I was not near my prime at that time.

I was still a young fledging, learning and exploring, growing and tasting... oh yes, tasting - whatever I wanted too. If I found something curious, I needed to know of it and nothing or no one would get in my way.

"Ugh... " Aristide sighed like he'd been through hell and back as he collapsed on my breasts. I was still thinking of the weird urge to go out that night. Then my mind darted to find out what was wrong with him.

"Are you alright?" I softly asked, my fingers parting through his thick hair

"I am fine." His voice was raspy, clearly he was exhausted. Not the usual sexual exhaustion, however, this was clearly different and maybe he was not ready to share it with me. I decided to stay quiet as we laid there blissfully, my mind drifting to the idea that
'something was going to happen'
.

"Do you feel that?" I asked him as my fangs slowly grew larger unintentionally

"No... " His head slowly peaked up from my breasts and I could tell from the corner of my eye that he was looking up at me while I hawked the moonlight outside the window, "What's wrong?" He asked.

"I'm not sure... but I can feel...
others
."

"Others?" He was probably as confused as I was, although I knew full well what I was talking about.

"Cognati. I can feel them approaching."

That very moment I looked back to see what his expression would be. I was hoping for happiness that we weren't alone, but I was in for a morbid surprise. Aristide was horrified. He got off me, naked as ever, rushing to gather his clothing.

I softly tilted my body to a fetal position, propping my head with a hand as I watched him, curiously wondering what he was about to do.

"Stay here." He warned.

"Is something wrong?" I inquired hinting he should tell me more by the tone of my voice.

"I don't know yet. I am going to find out."

"And I am to believe that I would get in your way? Oh, poor me... "

"Alexia." He grew stern, "There is something you must know about me."

"What is it that memories and visions have not shown me?"

He came to the side of the bed, cautiously sitting next to me. I was caressing his thigh lightly, letting him know to
'go on, it's alright - tell me everything.'

"I am an exile."

"An exile?" I softly repeated what he said.

"The Cognati banished me because I didn't conform to their beliefs of how mankind should be handled. I've taken some rather, drastic approaches in past times and for such transgressions, I am afraid I lost the battle I fought for."

And now, it was my turn to become rather serious - "Are they here to kill you?"

"I don't know. The terms of my exile were to stay far away from any Cognati-owned state and... " His voice trailed off. It seemed as if he didn't want to say the next part, "I was not to turn any human into one of us either."

"Aristide... " I sat up on the bed almost ready to burst in tears, out of horror, "I can't let you go out there alone!"

"It is best it happens this way. There is still something about you that I have not finalized yet, but if my predictions are right, then you may be the key to stopping the fall of our people. If they find you, they may attempt to kill you, if you are with me. I cannot allow that to happen. Please, stay here and wait for me. If I do not return in a timely fashion, don't attempt to look for me"

I cannot do that
... I thought to myself

"Promise me!" He shook me seriously.

"Fine... fine! Fine!" I started humbly only to find myself protesting by the tone of my voice
He leaned in and kissed my forehead, promising to return as he dashed to the window and turned into dark mist which sailed over the night's void. I got to my feet running to the window. My head was throbbing - I'd never experienced such a headache since my Exchange. I knew what he'd said was logical and true, no doubt; yet still, I was bothered.

I had to go out there.

I must have paced around the opulent bedchamber a thousand times ruminating on the possibilities of Aristide's demise - which, arguably, was rather dramatic but it is how I felt. I could not stay there while my senses told me that he was in danger and furthermore, he needed me. There was also a sense of empowerment. Aristide had done much for me - caring, giving, sharing and teaching me the walks of the shadow life as a Cognata and yet here was the time when I needed to act over being the helpless damsel he whisked away by dreamy whispers of a romance any woman would kill for.

I reached for my coat and darted out the door. I would not take no for an answer, not this time.

My maker was, undoubtedly, connected to me. I had a distinct reception for hearing his thoughts when he allowed me to and other times, when he would not. Aristide began training me in the act of telepathy but he never sought to perfect me in it. Perhaps it was a test to push me forward. The man had strange methods. I had to give him that.

I arrived in the city by boat, following on his trail like a hound, searching hungrily for a faded scent. This was a strange hour to be lurking around. It was past midnight, closer to dawn than dark, and the sunlight would not be my ally. If I were to be caught in it, I'd be drained of my energy and free for any of the petty-minded, religiously-induced degenerates to pillage, rape and whatever else their sick minds desired.

'Where are you?'
I wanted to push this thought on him but I was also afraid that would anger him. He could be such a gentle, loving man and other times, the beast would slip out of the cage - yet he never crossed the boundary to make me fear and run for my life. I was too 'special' in his eyes. Too 'unique', for whatever reason, which still made me most certainly unsure of his true intentions for me.

Why keep me a secret?

If I am truly special, wouldn't it profit us both if our brethren were to know of my existence? Then again, the case could've truly been the other way around and I was simply being an ignorant, little girl. My maker was an exile, banned from creating new Cognati. By all reasoning, I was an outcast from the very beginning.

The moonlight did no service in aiding me to find my lover. Clouds blocked the way and fog rose thickly into the air. Nevertheless, it was a bit of a boon to my stealth as I slipped past the night watchmen with relative ease. They would do no harm to such a fair, young maiden of noble origin. However, I preferred not to disturb the peace of simpletons. Their tales of demons and ghosts living on a castle a few boat strides away was enough to deal with. Aristide and I could not afford a crusade against us, especially if we were to keep feeding on the 'livestock' available here. It was a nice living arrangement. We had what we needed.

As I prowled through every corner, avoiding the 'livestock' and hunting for Aristide, luck finally smiled upon me. There he was, in a dark alley, waiting with his arms crossed behind his back. I wondered what for, but I knew it was best to remain silent and try as hard as I could to keep my vibes lowered so he would not sense me. I hovered to the rooftop, looking down at him. He waited there for some time; a good amount too, almost to the point where I assumed he'd gone mad. I kept looking on anyway.

Two shadowy figures emerged from the seeming nothingness of the black of night. They appeared in front of Aristide. With careful footing, they made way to observe my maker. I could not identify them. They were tall, pale and ridiculously handsome statues of men, with one having a mane of blonde hair while the other, a deep brunette with faces that said
'we are the alpha lions'.

They were covered in clothing foreign to the region but I could tell with surety that these men were not street vermin; they were royalty. From their posture to the way they held their head so certain and almost looked down on Aristide in a manner of disgust.

"It has been a long time, Aristide." The blonde slithered his tongue to greet my maker.

"Not long enough." Aristide harshly responded, holding his ground, unafraid but paranoid of their appearance.

"Is that any way to greet your brothers?" The brunette taunted.

"The irony stemming from the fact that you used the word 'brothers'. If I recall, it was the two of you who worked so tirelessly to see me banished."

"Oh please... " The blonde stopped him, "You're still bitter over losing a game more than five centuries old? I thought you more sophisticated than that, Aristide. You've always been the idealistic one."

"What do you want?" Aristide snarled.

The two men looked at one another as if they were communicating mentally, then they turned back to my maker.

"The Council has discovered something... interesting." The brunette took over. "It seems possible that the lineage of Halona may have stumbled here, in this very region."

"I'm not sure what this has to do with me. This is my place of exile. I know nothing of such fabled discoveries." Aristide retorted.

"Really? Are we to believe that you've lost your dark gifts too? Surely you've felt the pull yourself. She's here. We must find her, and you, have been given a second chance to return to the Order; should you choose to aid us in this quest."

Aristide released a sarcastic grin.

"What makes you think I want to return? The life of an exile has been more fulfilling than the ignorant would assume."

"Oh, brother... " The blonde spoke again. "We both know where your heart belongs. No matter how far you try running or how cold you continue dampening. We know that it is your desire to make reparations - and what better way to do so through the only power that can make it happen?"

"Think on it. We'll be around." The brunette went on to finish their conversation as the two of them walked away, leaving a speechless Aristide behind, watching them vanish into black smoke.

"You can come out now."
Aristide's voice vigorously entered my mind. His body did not move. He was waiting for me to go to him, and so I did, like a cat who knew she'd done wrong. I silently came to his side, expecting his wrath.

"You did not listen to me." His back remained turned to me as he coldly spoke.

"I'm sorry." That was all I could muster.

He turned to face me at last but I was be surprised. He was not angered - he was worried.

"I'm sure you witnessed that event... "

"Yes... " I still remained unsure if I should speak truthfully or not. "What does it mean?"

Aristide bowed his head thoughtfully.

"It might be high time for us to move on from this land."

"Who were those men? They were so... familiar with you."

"They certainly are." He began walking toward the direction of the beach.

"Are you not going to tell me?" I questioned him as I trotted by his side.

"What is it you wish to know?"

I held his arm firmly, forcing him to stop and confront me but I quickly turned that gesture from threatening, to loving as I pushed him into the wall, seeping my hands up his chest and onto his face tenderly - "Are we in danger?"

Aristide looked at me well before holding my hands in his own.

"I can't say. Those men were once my brethren. It was a game of politics between the three of us. Eventually they sided to eliminate their strongest competitor; me, and so, I was banished. They are here on the Halonic Council's Orders - searching for the lineage of Halona."

"What is a Halona?" I crumpled my eyebrows trying to understand this strange word. He held my hand, leading me away from the area so that we'd avoid the night's prying eyes.